What do first time home buyers in Salem Oregon need to know?

Buying a home is an exciting and stressful process at the same time. There are many wonderful homes on the Salem Oregon metro market and sometimes it is hard to narrow down your choices. Here are some suggestions for making your first home purchase a positive one.

1) Get preapproved. Often times first time home buyers get so excited about their decision to purchase a home, they forget to start with the basics. You need to know what you can afford. It is never a good idea to look at homes outside of your price range. A $300,000 home always looks nicer than a $150,000 home. Don’t set yourself up to find the “perfect house” that you can’t afford.

2) Prioritize. We all have those ideal lists, those lists that in a perfect world we would find exactly what we are looking for. Unfortunately homes are not perfect, unless you can afford to have one custom built to suit your taste. That means compromise. Know what you HAVE to have in a house, and what you WANT in a house. It might be that you need to have good highway access for a commute to work, or good bike access for a commute to work. Make a list of things that would be “deal breakers” for you and things you can compromise on in a home.

3) Do some research. Here in the Salem Oregon metro area we have many types of homes including old bungalows, ranch style homes, and new construction to name a few. Spend some time visiting various neighborhoods that are in your price range. Write down what you like and don’t like about those areas. If you dislike yard work, buying a house with a lot of trees on the property may not be a good choice for you. If you are sensitive to noise, spend some time at different times of the day in neighborhoods to listen to the traffic noise.

4) Don’t get hung up on décor. One of the hardest things for new home buyers to do is get past the ugly wall paper, or paint that doesn’t match their taste. Walls are easily painted and the seller’s furniture will be gone. Focus on the size of rooms, natural light, and flow of the floor plan. Remember that you are buying the house and not the furniture.

5) Do your due diligence. If you cannot afford a home inspection you should strongly reconsider waiting on your home purchase. Homes cost a lot of money to maintain, so make sure you are satisfied with the repair and maintenance requirements of the home you are interested in purchasing.

6) Have representation through the process. There is a lot to think about during your first home purchase. The agents at Tomson Burnham can help you sort through the process and learn what questions to ask so that you can have a successful home purchase.